Breakdown of Eines Tages werden sie nicht mehr heimatlos sein.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
sie
they
nicht mehr
no longer, not any more
Questions & Answers about Eines Tages werden sie nicht mehr heimatlos sein.
Why do we use the genitive case in Eines Tages?
In German, the genitive case is often used to express an indefinite or unspecified point in time, like 'one day' or 'some day.' If we were talking about a specific, definite time (like 'next Monday' or 'this evening'), we would use the accusative case instead (e.g., nächsten Montag). This structure is known as the adverbial genitive.
Why is sein at the very end of the sentence?
This sentence is in the future tense, which is formed using the conjugated helper verb werden and the infinitive of the main verb. As with all helper verbs in regular main clauses, the conjugated verb (werden) takes the second position, and the infinitive (sein) gets pushed to the very end of the sentence.
How does the phrase nicht mehr work here?
The phrase nicht mehr translates to 'no longer' or 'not anymore.' In German, these two words stay together as a fixed chunk to negate the state of being homeless (heimatlos) and are placed directly before the adjective they modify.
Does the suffix -los in heimatlos work exactly like '-less' in English?